Improvement in feather-renovators



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. RILEY, OF MIINOY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEATHER-RENOVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,240, dated March25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

' thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to theletters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a featherrenovator, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2 an end elevation,and Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section, of my feather-renovator.

A A represent two metal standards or brackets, in which the box orcylinder B is hung on suitable journals. This box is in its upper sideprovided with a hinged door, 0, and on the inside of said door anotherhinged door, a, which latter is made of perforated metal, as shown. Bothof these doors are opened to allow of the feathers being put into thebox. During the process of cleaning the feathers both doors a and O areclosed and when drying the feathers the door 0 is open, allowing thesteam within the cylinder to escape, and also carrying off the dustwhich rises while the feathers are being agitated. On one side of thecylinder B is a door, D, extending the entire length of the cylinder,which door is only to be opened after the process of cleaning and dryingthe feathers is completed, when they are to be emptied out of themachine. In the bottom of the cylinder or box B is an aperture ofsuitable width extending the entire length of the cylinder and coveredwith a wire-cloth frame, E, which may be attached or detached at will.Below this wire-cloth frame is the dirt-receiver or dirt-drawer G in towhich the dirt falls through the wire-cloth during the process ofcleaning the feathers. Below the dirtreceiver G, to

the bottom of the cylinder, is attached a pan, H, which forms asteam-chamber, I, extending a suitable distance up the sides of thecylinder, and communicates atthe ends with chambers J formed in orattached to the ends or heads of the cylinder. Steam is admitted from aboiler through a steam-cock, K, which has two branches, 1) and (l, thebranch I) leading into the steam-chamber I and the branch (1 into thedirt-receiver G. The cock K is so arranged that the steam can beentirely shut off from the machine or be admitted through either one orboth of the branches 1) and d. When the steam is admitted through thebranch 11 into the dirt-receiver G it rises through the wire-cloth E andpasses into the cylinder or box where the feathers are placed.

The shape or form of the cylinder B is immaterial, but I prefer to makeit polygonalshaped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Through the center of the cylinder passes the horizontal shaft L,provided with radiating arms M M, which are revolved to agitate thefeathers by the following means: On one end of the shaft L is a pinion,c, which gears with a cog-wheel, f, and the shaft or journals of saidcog-wheel provided with a crank, N,

the whole arranged in a box, 0, on the end of The machine may be run byhand or by any suitable power, if desired.

The top of one of the standards or brackets A is cut off slanting,asshown in Fig. 2, and the box 0 in which the gearing is held forms a stopfor the oscillating motion of the box or cylinder, so that it can onlytip over at a certain angle, and when rocked in the opposite directionit will be stopped in proper position for work.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The cylinder B, having steamspaces in each head and steam and dirt chambers G I in its bottom, incombination with the pipes d and b and stop-cockK, which connects withboth, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the above the pipe m, used for allowing an exitfor the steam and dirt from the chambers G and I, as set forth.

3. The combination of the cylinder B with the standards A, by which itis supported, when one or both of said standards are so formed that thecylinder may be tilted and supported in that position, as is herein setforth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set myhand this 26th day of

